The Quinquireme
by Phineas Redux
Summary: Xena & Gabrielle escort a ship loaded with treasure bound for Cleopatra. Gabrielle brings a friend.
1. Chapters 1 to 2

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Xena and Gabrielle help protect a ship full of treasure bound for Cleopatra. A Roman official finally begins to see his work in a different light. Gabrielle has brought a friend to accompany them.

In this story I try to give some idea of what a quinquireme of Roman times would have been like; and how powerful it was in relation to other vessels of the period.

One incident is suggested by a scene from Nicholas Monsarrat's novel 'The Cruel Sea'; another incident mirrors a famous quote by Stanley Baker in the film 'Zulu'.

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**Disclaimer:** MCA/Universal/RenPics own all copyrights to everything related to Xena: Warrior Princess and I have no rights to them.

—OOO—

'Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir—Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine—With a cargo of ivory—And apes and peacocks—Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.' John Masefield.

—OOO—

'**The Quinquireme'**

**Chapters 1-2**

**Chapter 1**

The pentekontor rose with the swell and cut smoothly through the whitecaps as the ship plowed through the sea on its way out into the Bay. The morning was sunny with a blue sky, but there was a steady breeze blowing off the coast and the water was choppy.

Having only 25 oars on either side, each manned by a single rower, the ship was consequently low in the water and able to slice through the waves at a fair pace. Nothing like the speed of a trireme, of course, or even a respectable bireme; but adequate if not impressive. The rowers sat on benches in the full glare of the sun; with a planked, slightly elevated, walkway leading from the fully decked stern to the equally fully decked prow. A tall mast soared up from the centre of the ship; though it's single yard was laid flat along the walkway at the moment, as the Captain had toyed with the idea of raising the large sail but decided against it for the time being.

The passengers at present on board were not interested in the ship's speed, though. They were using it simply as a transport between the shore and their destination out at sea. Chief among these were a couple of military personnel accompanying Lucius Aulus Clodios, a Roman official and Trierarch, of high standing in the local community. He was heavily built, as was proper to one who relied on others to work around him, without being touched by the contamination of physical activity himself. His view of the Roman Empire and through this himself, was overbearing, outspoken, and entirely arrogant. But then, if it had not been so he could hardly have called himself a Roman official!

Xena, standing close by, was looking and feeling less than comfortable; while Gabrielle struggled under a series of difficulties. These included her innate bodily refusal to accept that standing up and being at sea were mutually compatible activities; Xena's growing anger and disgust with their Roman shipmate; and the need to pour oil on the troubled waters of communications between the Warrior Princess and the cohort of Roman soldiers aboard the small ship; while also keeping a gentle eye on her other companion, Bremusa the Amazon.

It had seemed a good idea when Gabrielle had spoken with Xena about her wish to bring Bremusa along. For her part Xena was all in favour. She had great respect for the flame-haired young woman, after seeing her save Gabrielle's life in a recent close fight.

Now, though, it was apparent that the girl's uncertain temper was not being improved by such close contact with those she had done so much to attack and destroy back in Greece. Bremusa's opinion of the situation didn't fill Gabrielle with confidence at the moment, either.

"Gods! I've never seen so many people all together before, that I really want to kill!"

Gabrielle had taken some heart from the small, but significant, victory in persuading the intense young girl not to parade about the deck with her savage sagaris battleaxe strapped over her shoulder. Thus at least one source of annoyance to the Romans was allayed for the present.

"Xena! Why is the sea always so damnably energetic!" Gabrielle was clinging to one of the low posts that supported the handrail at the ship's bow. There was a full deck here, from one side to the other, forward of the rowers, on which the three women were standing contemplating the waters ahead. "I don't ask for much in life; but a sea as calm and motionless as a sheet of ice would be good, at least!"

"How about that move I showed you with your wrist?"

"That's useless!" She spat mirthlessly over the side, gazing around at the far expanse of white-tipped water before hastily looking at her feet again. "I need both hands to stop falling overboard from this canoe! And, anyway, it seems to have lost it's power. I think I've become immune to it. Isn't that great!"

"I said at the time it was just a temporary measure." Xena tried her hardest to instil a note of pity in her voice as she stood over her dispirited friend. "It helps for a few hours; or a day. But you can't use it as a permanent aid."

"What can I do, then? I've been throwing up for the last two hours. I think I'm getting rid of meals I had a week ago, now!"

"The Shamaness at my camp in Attica last year gave me a potion that had much the same effect, Gabrielle, though from the oth-" Bremusa's anecdote came to a sudden halt when she noticed the evil look, from under lowered brows, that her Queen was giving her; green eyes glittering dangerously. "I—er-er!"

Further conversation came to an end, luckily for the irresolute Amazon, as the heavily built Roman Trierarch approached the bow. He had, for a Roman, what passed for a pleasant smile on his face as he joined the women.

"Ah! Is it not wonderful to be out on the dancing sea; with the fresh breezes, and the wide horizon rising and falling in the distance? I love the gentle swell of the ocean!"

Without another word Gabrielle turned and walked off towards the stern, leaving the bow deck to the Roman politician and the two Greek warriors.

"Your companion seems a little uncomfortable. Am I to suppose she is one of those unfortunates who have difficulty finding their sea-legs?"

"Gabrielle doesn't have any sea-legs to find, I'm afraid." Xena shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "A touchy subject."

"Oh! Well, I'm sure she will survive the short voyage out to the 'Alcyone'." Lucius Aulus smiled more broadly still. "When she is on the deck of a quinquireme there'll be no excuse for seasickness! Wonderfully steady ships, quinquiremes!"

"So I believe."

"Shouldn't we have taken that other ship in harbour, Trierarch?" Bremusa was full of interest in this new world of ships and the sea that her friends had suddenly dragged her into. "It was a bireme; surely quicker than this boat?"

"Yes, you're right there, young lady." Lucius spoke confidently. "It was a liburnian, and as such certainly faster than our present vessel. But it still had some disadvantages. Our cargo would have needed to have been transferred from this pentekontor into it. And having come from Rhodes quite happily in this, I saw no reason to show everyone in the harbour what our cargo consists of! And, of course, completing our voyage in this pentekontor without transfering will save much needed time."

"How far do we have to sail to reach the larger ship, Trierarch?" As she spoke Bremusa brushed her light red hair from her forehead, glancing back to the far distant shore now low on the horizon.

"Oh. I should say perhaps 5 leagues! Not more. Just over the horizon, in fact." He looked squarely at the tall warrior for a moment before his brow furrowed slightly in thought. "Are you too feeling the occasion? Have you been to sea often?"

"This is the first time." The response was short and clipped. "I've never been out of sight of land!"

"Don't worry." The Roman was conciliatory. "This is an old somewhat out-dated boat here, I agree; but adequate for our purpose. When you see and experience the quinquireme you'll find yourself in another world! Magnificent ships!"

"What happens when we lose sight of land?" Bremusa spoke nervously, still looking landward with a fixed gaze. "I mean, when there's nothing but sea round us?"

The Roman paused as he stared at the pale face of the young woman; even paler now than usual. "You really haven't been to sea before, have you? Don't worry. Losing sight of the land has no effect on the ship's stability. We carry on floating, like a rose petal in a bath! Just think of it as a huge lake. You must have had experience of big lakes?"

"Yes, yes." Bremusa turned to listen to the man's words intently.

"Well, just think of our position as being in a really huge lake. One that goes on over the horizon on all sides. But which has its shores just out of sight all around us!"

"Yes, yes. I can understand that." The girl seemed reassured by his explanation, though still worried. "Your ship-the 'Alcyone'! It's bigger— steadier—safer than this boat?"

"By Achilles's shield! Yes! I've been on the deck of a quinquireme in a tempest, with waves almost as high as our masthead all round us; and watched two triremes founder before my very eyes in the thrashing seas alongside! While I hardly needed more than a handhold on a rope to stay on my feet. And the ship never showing a sign of being inconvenienced! Good Roman building! That's the answer, of course!"

"You can locate our ship; out there in the ocean, then?" Xena asked pertinently, though not reassuringly for the young Amazon at her side.

"Oh, yes!" Lucius Aulus nodded confidently. "We took bearings onshore before we left; and we have a lodestone and needle with us. We can be sure of our direction for a considerable way out into the ocean. We will find the agreed meeting-place. Even after dark! Perhaps better then! For we can use the stars as accurate pointers! A most mathematical but interesting science."

"We do that when the Amazons travel by night." Bremusa felt more confident in a subject that she understood and which affected her sisters. "We can move over the worst type of ground in darkness for scores of miles if need be; and still find our way. The stars are beautiful!"

Xena eyed the overweight Roman, as the breeze ruffled her hair and the tang of the salt air filled her nostrils. Though a gross specimen of his type he clearly had a basis of animal courage, and something more of real intelligence. He could never have been so successfull in the cut and thrust of Roman politics otherwise, she mused.

"As a Trierarch you have sole control of the ship, then?"

"No. By no means." He shook his head, grasping the rail to steady himself as the ship plowed through a large wave, casting a high white sheet of foam on either side. They were all showered by spray but the man showed no concern as he stood in his long woollen toga. He clearly did enjoy being at sea. "Many years ago a Trierarch would have owned and provided for a single ship; but nowadays the expense is so enormous we have all to congregate in business groups to share the expenses. Partnerships of at least 20 wealthy men. It takes a talent of silver yearly to pay for a trireme; and about 2½ talents of silver yearly for a quinquireme. In recent years things have relaxed a trifle, I admit, since the Emperor saw fit to start building scores more quadriremes and quinquiremes, using the national taxes."

"How large is your 'Alcyone', compared to this pentekontor we're on?" Bremusa stood straighter now, with a more self-assured bearing, between her two companions. "This is the biggest ship I've ever been on in my life as it is!"

"The 'Alcyone' will astonish you, in that case! It has several decks and rises about 4 metres or more above sealevel, I'd say." There was a noticeable touch of pride in his voice as he responded to the girl's question. "A total of 90 oars a side on three levels, rowed by 150 men; so 300 rowers in total. 45 metres in length and a weight, I imagine, of about 100tons. Perhaps a little more. Its decks are about 5-6 metres in breadth. That's why I say Gabrielle, and you Bremusa, may feel better aboard it. They don't roll as much as this little boat! It's a cataphract vessel, so the rowers are all seated inside and protected by decks above them. This also gives a platform to carry say 80-100 soldiers. So, all-in-all, a very powerful and heavily armed ship!"

"Heavily armed?" Xena was interested in this aspect of the ship's complement.

"Oh! Didn't I say? Yes! Quinquiremes can carry two large catapults on their main decks! As does the 'Alcyone'! In any battle we will pull our weight handsomely!"

"You seem to have chosen the right kind of vessel for our present purposes, Lucius!"

"It's really the only type of ship with enough cargo-carrying space; and the strength of build, to transport this kind of cargo in one voyage." He nodded again; the sun reflecting off his partly balding head. "Camel caravans, and multiple trips in small boats over so long a distance are out of the question, you'll agree?"

"Yeah." Xena looked out to sea; the blue of the water intense and pure into the far distance. She was thinking of Cleopatra. "This amount of wealth and treasure needs to be kept secure at all costs."

—OOO—

A few hours later, as the afternoon sun began lowering towards the horizon, the sea took on an even deeper shade of blue though there were still no clouds in the sky. All three warrior women were standing side by side on the prow again with Gabrielle apparently more acclimatised to the rolling swell. For some minutes they had been chatting idly with Gabrielle telling Bremusa of several voyages Xena and she had taken. Bremusa too seemed more at home, even taking delight in a large white bird that sailed through the air keeping steady with the ship, like a consort.

High on the single mast in a small container, little bigger than a basket, a lookout had been keeping an eye on the horizon for a couple of hours. Suddenly his yell broke into the women's converse as he hailed the Captain at the stern.

"On deck! A sail! On the port bow!"

The women turned in the direction indicated and shielded their eyes, gazing into the bright distance.

"Can't see anything!" Bremusa was disappointed.

"Don't worry. The ship has probably only just cut the horizon. We'll be able to see it in a few minutes." Gabrielle was happy at the thought of gaining their destination but also, more personally, in seeing a solid deck near at hand at last.

Within half an hour the distant vessel was visible to everyone; a long dark slim presence between the sea and the sky. An hour after being sighted the pentekontor sailed close up to the larger ship, giving all on board their first full view of the quinquireme sitting majestically in the water, it's mast seeming to cleave the very heavens.

For both Gabrielle and Bremusa it was a spectacular sight. Everything Lucius Aulus had said was clearly true. As the rowers on the pentekontor raised their oars, letting the little boat glide close in alongside, the ship's high bulwarks cast a dark shadow over everyone below.

The women let the few soldiers, and the accompanying Centurion go up the sides ahead of them. _Always keep your foes in sight ahead of you!_ Gabrielle whispered quietly to Bremusa. After them followed Lucius Aulus, moving competently for such a physique. His innate strength taking him up the built-in ladder steps smoothly and without mishap. After this first Bremusa, then Gabrielle, followed by Xena, darted up the wooden steps to stand at last on a relatively solid, unmoving surface. Gabrielle, for one, felt grateful for the change.

Over the next few minutes there was the usual confusion and shouting as a well-rehearsed routine took over and the ship's company heaved up the provisions and other cargo items from the lower boat and transported them through doors and long dark passages into the mysterious depths of the ship.

A curious feature that Bremusa remarked on to Xena, as they stood on the wide deck running the full width and length of the vessel, was the invisibility of the huge numbers of oarsmen. Bremusa walked to the side and leaned over, arms extended on the warm rounded bulwark. Beneath her rows and rows of oars swept out from the sides to touch the water finally at what seemed an incredible distance away.

"Look! There must be a hundred oars! It's huge!" She said, returning to her friends.

"Like Lucius Aulus said—150 men to each side! We're not alone on this ship, you know!" Xena laughed at her joke, though Gabrielle and Bremusa merely raised their brows.

"Must make for a riot at dinner-time!" Gabrielle spoke sardonically. "I wonder, Xena? Do they have hot meals aboard this ship?"

"Twice a day! And three times on Feast-days!"

All three women turned to see a strongly built Greek, having approached silently amongst the hurly-burly of the off-loading. He was tanned a deep brown, with piercing eyes set among a multitude of wrinkles. He stood on the deck with all the confidence of a lifetime sailor and now grinned at his passengers.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Nennius of Rhodes; the Captain of this ship. I'd be pleased to show you ladies to your quarters. I've had explicit instructions, both from Lucius Aulus previously, and Queen Cleopatra herself. Glad to have such honoured guests to help with my security. Even the Roman soldiers seem glad to have you along; though I doubt you'll hear them say so!"

**End of Chapter 1**

—OOO—

**Chapter 2**

There was so much room aboard the ship that everyone had been allocated cabins to themselves. Bremusa was happy with her quarters; but when Gabrielle asked to stay with Xena there was no difficulty about the arrangements. Lucius Aulus, of course, was settled somewhere along the dark corridor in quarters decorated to his own taste, apparently. Towards the rear of the ship were two large rooms given over to the company at large and used, the Captain told them, for meetings and meals with the honoured passengers.

So it was that, just over an hour after coming aboard, the women rejoined Lucius Aulus in a large after-cabin lit by windows in the stern, their shutters thrown wide, giving a view of the blue sea receding into the distance. Centrally placed was a long pine table with various other items and objects set about the room. Several servants came and went about their duties while Lucius Aulus rose from his seat to greet his guests once more.

"Ave, friends! Come and sit! We are about to have the evening meal and splendid it will be, I assure you! May I introduce our Captain, Nennius!"

"We met earlier, on deck." Xena nodded to the seaman, now planted on a chair at his superior's side as if well-used to the situation.

"He is the best seafarer I've ever known." Lucius continued, with apparent sincerity. "This is a grand ship; and it has the right master! There! I will say no more. We mustn't embarrass the worthy man! Gabrielle! What do you think of a dish of plover's eggs? Just to whet our appetites!"

"Oh! Yes. Plover's eggs. Yes-"

"Sire!" Nennius smiled as he interrupted the discussion of the upcoming menu. "Should we not think about the Chair-person of the proceedings?"

"Of course! Thank you for reminding me, Nennius." Lucius turned with a smile to his guests. "While the food is going to be excellent we must not forget the wine! Nennius, in our long friendship, has brought me round to the Greek way in this. We must choose one of our number to supervise the wine, and it's mixing. Shall we say the young lady with the wicked axe? Though, thankfully, you have left it behind for the present, eh? Ha,ha!"

As in most Greek banquets or symposia, as the three women were well aware, one of the guests would always be given the honour of being in charge of the wine supply, and it's mixing. Thereby ensuring he or she was able to control it's flow and strength;and thereby how quickly, if at all, everyone got drunk!

"Come! Bremusa." Lucius Aulus was all jollity. "Here is the krater on the floor; quite large enough for our purposes, I think! I once saw enough wine mixed in this bowl to serve 30 guests! But what do I see here! Another krater. Have you been extending your ship's gear then, Nennius?"

"I wish I might, sire." The Captain laughed in his turn. "I have to admit it is part of our cargo from Ophir; meant for the Queen's palace. Beautiful craftsmanship. I thought it safer to store it here than with the general cargo."

"Quite right, Nennius."

Lucius Aulus strode over to where both large bowls sat on the wooden deck against one of the walls. The one he described as his own was a volute krater sitting on a small base with a tall elongated body. It narrowed slightly at the neck, though still being quite wide. It had an out-turned lip, on each side of which were the curled cusps of the handles which gave the name to this type; looking as they did like the volutes on Ionic columns. The base of the handles rose from the ridge where the waist began to narrow at the broad neck. For decoration it was painted in red-figure with the face of a Goddess done in flowing lines, altogether a beautiful example of terracotta work.

"My own, as you can see, is perhaps one hundred years old. Quite an old style; in the painting, I mean. But I love it. I have known it from my childhood. I have often watched my father, and his friends, get riotously drunk in it's presence. Ah! Happy days!"

He bent over the second bowl, examining it minutely with the eye of the true connoisseur. Bremusa came to stand at his side while the others watched from the table, which was rapidly being loaded with a variety of viands; some steaming; others cold.

"Do you see, Bremusa." Lucius moved aside slightly to allow her to touch the vessel sitting at her feet; though it actually almost reached her waist in height. "Unlike my own, this is a calyx krater probably two hundred years older than the one you see at it's side!. A work of art from a lost age! Note the painted decoration. Very old. Quite unrestrained in it's portraiture of some figures, I see!"

This bowl was set on a much broader base which spread wide quite low to the floor. A few inches above this was a low rim, then the main body of the bowl rising all the way to the brim which flared out suddenly in a much wider span than it's neighbour. It's two handles were fixed low down on the lower rim, just above the base and did not reach more than half-way up it's height. It was clearly much heavier in style as well as actual weight, though still being of terracotta. The decoration, again red-figure, consisted of several dancers, both men and women, in what were clearly meant to be Bachic or drunken frolics. The attire and the bodies of these men and women were depicted in a carefree almost gross physicality. So much so that Bremusa, on bending to examine one of the male figures, suddenly rose and stepped back with a grunt and a gesture of her hand. She was not used to the free and easy morals of the ancient aristocracy!

"Ah. Here is our wine arrived!" Lucius Aulus now turned to the important business of their intended refreshment. "Let us see. Yes! A fine vintage. You will like this wine. Deep and red from the grapes of Lebanon. It will take a deal of mixing. How do you like your wine, Bremusa? Ladies?"

As usual the wine was never drunk at full strength. Such an action was believed fit only for beasts. The refined drinker purified the alcohol with greater or lesser amounts of water.

"2 to 1 would be good!" Gabrielle spoke more in hope than belief, knowing full well her compatriot was always critical of her taste for strong wine.

"3 to 1, Lucius." Xena was indeed positive on the subject. She ostentatiously did not look at Gabrielle as she replied. "Some of us want to walk to our bunks tonight; not be carried like bundles of blankets!"

"3 to 1 it is. Carry on, Bremusa. The floor is yours. I and our guests rely on your skills to delight our evening!"

Bremusa turned to the volute krater which was of far less breadth than it's unrestrained neighbour; with a lesser capacity in consequence. The servants stood by her side with several amphora of the selected wine, and on her other side some buckets of fresh water. As she worked the Centurion of the soldiers who had accompanied them on the pentekontor now entered the room.

"Sire. My apologies for my absence. I had to see my troops settled."

"Ah. Welcome Atilius." Lucius Aulus waved a hand to the fully uniformed soldier. "Come. Sit on my right hand. As you see preparations are under way for our first drink of the evening. You have arrived at the best time."

Casting a glance at the assembled guests, who now numbered five in all, the Amazon took one of the buckets from a servant and slowly poured it's contents into the narrow bowl. When the bucket was empty she looked into the neck of the bowl but saw the level of water was still very low inside. She took a second bucket and poured about a quarter of it's contents in before handing it back to the waiting servant.

After another look she was satisfied with the bowl's water content. She took one of the amphora, handed over by a female servant who had unsealed the waxed over wooden lid, and gently poured the contents into the bowl. The wine was indeed a rare and strong vintage. Its red flow dark against the white arm of Bremusa as she steadily and slowly added it to the krater. The servant girl handed her a long wooden stick and with this Bremusa began to slowly stir the bowl's contents. After a few seconds she was satisfied and nodded to the servants.

"You can pour the wine now. It should be just right, I think."

She then crossed to rejoin her friends at the table as the servants began the serious business of attending to the guests.

—OOO—

It was during the course of the meal that something of Lucius's underlying Roman character came to the surface. He began smoothly and quietly; drinking with ease and politeness but this soon gave way to an exhibition of pure gluttony which had Gabrielle and Bremusa staring in disbelief.

The Roman handled a whole roasted chicken, served to him on a silver platter, with such complete abandon that the women were astonished. His trick of throwing half-eaten bones over his shoulder was particularly alarming to Gabrielle. He did this with such vigour that several hit the wall behind before tumbling to the floor where the servants took no notice of the mounting debris. As Gabrielle and Bremusa soon began to realise, watching a Roman dignitary at home and play was something of an education; where it wasn't simply terrifying to behold!

Xena on the other hand took all in her stride, striking up a conversation with the Centurion who sat on her right hand.

"You'll be used to these fine ships, Atilius. No doubt you've had experience with others in the Roman Navy?"

"To some extent, Xena. " He seemed perfectly willing to talk to his fellow guests, even though they were Amazons and professedly enemies of Rome. No doubt he felt that knowing your enemy could be put to good use later. "I've sailed on three other ships. All quadriremes, though. This is the first quinquireme I've had the honour to accompany. A fine vessel. I'm sure Lucius Aulus is proud of it!"

_Nothing like buttering up the big guys!_ Xena thought, restraining a tight-lipped smile. "I saw the catapults on deck. This ship could do severe damage even without coming close to it's opponents, couldn't it?"

"Oh, yes." The Centurion took a gulp of wine from one of the fine silver goblets provided by their host. "They can throw a 20lb rock nearly a cable's length."

"20 pounds!" Gabrielle joined the conversation in an attempt to take her eyes off the damage Lucius was now undertaking on a plate of lightly boiled beef slices with mint sauce. "What effect would that have on another ship?"

"When a missile that heavy falls out of the sky it has immense impetus, madam." Atilius spoke with a certain degree of politeness to the beautiful girl opposite him. Certainly, he thought, more safely beautiful than the battle-hardened and clearly dangerous warrior to his left. "When it hits the deck or a ship's side it doesn't merely bounce; it crashes through the wood with an explosive power you would have to see to believe."

"Sounds deadly!" Gabrielle tried to imagine the effect so graphically described as she toyed with her goblet.

"We could circle a quadrireme, say," Lucius interjected, breaking off the serious business to join the conversation for a moment. "and throw a series of catapult bolts into a ship from long distance. We would never be in danger or range of their arrows, even. The rocks would have enough power to either penetrate the vessel's bottom, or at least spring it's planks! I've seen a quadrireme with some 300 men aboard sink in less than an hour, under such conditions."

"The survivors must have had something to tell their friends afterwards?" Gabrielle spoke in awe of such a horrible event.

"Survivors!" Lucius spoke the one word with disdain, before returning to the next course set out before him. A stew of sturgeon and carp with fish sauce which was a particular favourite of his. The women simply sat speechless; Bremusa raised her goblet to her lips and held it there with both hands while she cast a long appraising glance at her host. She was beginning to realise, for the first time, the full power, scope, and depths of a true Roman's moral nature.

Gabrielle waved away a servant intent on placing a plate of curried eels before her, and reaching over to a salver put a large red apple on her dish instead. She also made a valiant attempt to bring the talk round to something interesting, if not exactly uplifting.

"Captain, You haven't yet told us about your cargo. I've heard various bits and pieces, but no details. What exactly are we carrying to Alexandria and Cleopatra?"

"I'll be glad to inform you, lady." The weather-beaten sailor nodded to his guest. "I've already provided the worthy Lucius Aulus with an inventory; but rather than a cold list it is perhaps better to discuss the items here, between us!"

"By all means, Nennius." Lucius swigged lustily at his goblet and held it out imperiously for a refill, apparently missing the quick flicker of an eye Bremusa gave the servant. In turn the girl was careful to only half-fill the official's beaker, before standing back in the shadows.

"Well, as you know," Nennius continued. "the distant Queen of Ophir is a great friend of our Divine Cleopatra! And when asked she has excelled herself in providing some few items and appurtenances for the delight of our Egyptian Queen, and thereby the Emperor of Rome!"

"It all goes to paying expenses!" Xena broke in sarcastically before she could stop herself.

The Trierarch looked up from his platter, lips dripping with something unidentifiable, to snap back at the warrior woman with equal force.

"I hope you are not casting aspersions on the Emperor!"

"By Berenice's hair, no!" Gabrielle jumped in before her companion was needled into an impolitic response. "She merely thinks it amazing that such riches could all be rounded up and brought to Egypt. Don't you, Xena? Rome must have great power to do that!"

"Rome has all the power!" Lucius spoke bluntly, but with a sure certainty that froze the blood in all three women listening; though none showed in their expressions the distaste the man's words had on them.

"So! Nennius." Gabrielle was determined to cast whatever oil she could on the slightly disturbed waters. "Tell us what these riches consist of. I love beautiful things!"

"For a start even I was amazed when everything had been brought aboard." The worthy Captain admitted to his guests. "Perhaps I should begin with the smallest items; though the richest! Three chests of precious stones; consisting of a mixture of diamonds, emeralds, amythysts, and topazes. I have them safely locked in my own cabin! Then some barrels of exotic spices such as cinnamon, myrrh, peppercorns, and bright orange saffron. After this was a couple of casks of that strange liquid metal, mercury. You know it no doubt! Behaves like water, or breaks up into droplets in the hand!"

"Yes, I saw some once in Athens. Strange stuff!" Gabrielle nodded. "Go on."

"Then came what I may call the body of the cargo—some forty couple of ivory tusks; a couple hundred planks of sandalwood; the same of cedarwood; and many amphora of a special vintage of sweet white wine from the Queen's personal winecellars!"

"Enough to make an E—to make anyone jealous!" Bremusa stuttered diplomatically; then intercepting a glance from her Queen decided to take no further part in the conversation for a time.

"We also have aboard some thirty boxes of silver bars and ten boxes of gold bars." The Captain paused to let this information sink in before continuing. "These are so heavy, you will understand, that they have had to be loaded in the bilges of the ship; spread out along the keel. They make a visible difference to my ship's floatation and even it's manoeuvrability."

"I can imagine." Xena nodded, drinking off her wine at a swallow and holding the goblet to be refilled in her turn. "I thought your ship was rather low in the water as we arrived!"

"Quite so." Nennius agreed. "Then came what you may think the supreme pinnacle of all—forty peacocks, and two couple of apes!"

"What!" Gabrielle cried in disbelief, setting her goblet down and looking from Nennius to the simpering Lucius in turn.

"The apes are large; heavier and far stronger than a man! I had to have special cages constructed on one of the lower decks. They roar loudly when riled. You may have heard their noise earlier, and wondered what it was! They will have some sort of ceremonial purpose." The Captain smiled at the success of his little surprise. "The peacocks are of a rare breed. White peacocks, I am told, with yellow and brown markings. Very rare, I believe."

"Exquisite!" Lucius Aulus agreed. "The Emperor will be pleased!"

"Well, it will certainly reinforce Rome's reputation for-er,—magnificent spectacle! You must both be very proud?" Gabrielle spoke in a slightly awed tone. Even after all her experiences, to come face to face with the legendary opulence of the Roman ego was still disturbing.

"We take such things in our stride!" Lucius was condescending to those around the dinner-table. "It is merely what the Emperor would expect! Come, let us carry on with our meal! There are still three courses to go, and this wine is truly delicious. I wonder if I can persuade our worthy wine-keeper to mix another batch?"

With these last words he directed a look of quite childish pleading towards Bremusa who rose with a shrug and went back over to the krater, where a servant stood with a ladle to refill those goblets brought to her. At her feet stood another full amphora awaiting it's turn in the festivities. If the Amazon was sure of anything it was that it was going to be a long evening.

—OOO—

The blue of a clear sky shone down on the two women standing on the foredeck of the quinquireme with a chastening brilliance. Gabrielle herself, when pulled from beneath her blankets that morning, had expressed in voluble and distressing terms her reluctance to shine like the sun, on this or any other day in the future. But Xena had insisted on bringing her on deck even before the first meal of the morning was ready in the ship's galley. This was just as well for Gabrielle had spent a gruelling five minutes relieving her stomach of the previous evening's rich viands.

"It's no good, Xena! I just want to die! I thought this big ship would be steadier than the other; but it's no good! It moves! Can't you feel it? It moves under your feet all the time. Tartarus would be better than this!"

"Get a grip, Gabrielle!" Xena was unheeding of her friend's distress. "It's all in your mind, you know! Think smooth! Think calm! Think—"

What Gabrielle said next was distressig in it's preciseness, accuracy, dis-interested detail, and personal relevance to the woman standing beside her. Xena however, well-used to these diatribes from her friend when in the throes of bodily agony, merely raised her eyebrows and made a mental note to remember some choice phrases for her own use.

As she laid a comforting arm on the shoulders of her sweetheart Xena noted the appearance of the Trierarch on the distant sterndeck, looking as fresh as an athlete despite his amazing exhibition the night before.

"Just your usual Roman!" Xena had a hard tone in her voice as she gazed at the almost impressive bulk of the heavy politician. "He's so obnoxious he'll probably go far—before someone finally poisons him! Wait for the day!"

Compelled by the note in her companion's voice Gabrielle straightened and looked towards the rear of the ship too, seeing the Roman parading the deck like a Senator in the Forum.

"Xena! Xena! Don't think that way. There's no exit in that street!"

"Do you know, Gabrielle, nothing lasts for ever!" Xena spoke with a curious note of longing. "And when the Roman Empire is finally destroyed and disappears, the world will be an infinitely better place!"

"Let's not hold our breaths meanwhile, eh!" Gabrielle was uncomfortable with her friend's reaction to the admittedly difficult official. "We can work with him. For a couple of days, anyway."

"Yeah. I suppose!" Xena had already opened her mouth to shout a greeting when she was forestalled by a hail from the lookout on the high mast above.

"On deck, there! In the haze to seaward! On the starboard bow! Three ships! Look like liburnians!"

"Pirates!" The Captain, standing by his master's side, spoke unhesitatingly a few moments later as the women ran up to join the group on the sterndeck. "Looks as if we're in for a fight!"

**End of Chapter 2**

—OOO—


	2. Chapters 3 to 4

—OOO—

**Chapters 3-4**

**Chapter 3**

"Everything in place as we planned, Nennius?" Lucius spoke confidently, as if knowing the reply beforehand.

"Aye, sire." The captain looked about him, crossing to gaze over at the pentekontor which had just come into view from under the quinquireme's stern. "Atilius and his complement of soldiers are aboard over there and ready to follow up when we act."

"You have a plan ready, Lucius?" Xena strode to the Roman's side and looked him in the face. "You knew this was coming!"

"Something like it, Xena." He nodded in reply. "Not the exact details, or what ships would appear; but substantially we planned for a pirate attack somewhere around here. And here they are!"

"But if there are three ships out there, Lucius, then there must be about 700 men or more!" Gabrielle paled at the thought as she looked from the large heavy bulk of the Roman, then out to sea and back. The early morning mist was just clearing from the wavetops and the horizon was still pretty much invisible from their present vantage, though the lookout could see over the low-lying vapour.

"True! But separately, in three ships; and there will be their downfall!" Lucius was dismissive of such a force against him. "Remember there are 300 rowers here, who have also been trained to fight efficiently; as well as another 250 soldiers I brought aboard. A bit of a squeeze, I admit, but 100 of them are now with Atilius on the pentekontor! Two ships full of well-trained troops; against a rabble of pirates who, in a few minutes will realise their lives are worthless! It will be easy!"

"Tell us what you intend!" Xena was terse. She wanted information, and quickly. She wasn't used to being left out of the loop where planning was concerned. It made her uneasy.

As she spoke Bremusa ran up to join them. She already had her sagaris in her left hand; and over her shoulder bore Gabrielle's sword in it's scabbard. Gabrielle took this gratefully and stood back to throw it's leather straps over her shoulder.

As she secured it in place and Xena put a hand up to loosen her own weapon there was a quiet, but discernible, hubbub from those others of the crew and soldiers assembling on the long deck, and glancing out to sea they finally saw their enemy. Three bireme ships; long and slender, cutting through the sea swiftly and efficiently all in line ahead.

"It's rather a complex plan, if written in a scroll." Lucius carried on, undisturbed by the sight. "What we have in mind- By we I mean Nennius, Atilius and I! -What we mean to achieve is a three step advance on the pirates. The first ship—you will notice they have indeed decided to attack in line, the fools!—will be disabled by catapult and Atilius on the pentekontor will board it; then we ram the second, after which the third will be a sitting bird just waiting for us to destroy it! Simple, but certain!"

Xena had to admire his composure. For the first time she noticed that under the light toga he was wearing Lucius was dressed in long leather leggings and a loose shirt of linen. Heavy boots covered his feet. As he explained things he took the wraps of his toga and flung them back over his broad shoulders, freeing himself from the cumbersome material, letting it slip to the deck, and standing before them in all the panoply of a fighting man. He even had his sword already secured at his waist. Xena made a mental note to stop being so naive in future, as he turned to Nennius to give further orders about the soldiers waiting on deck.

"Gabrielle! Bremusa!" She too was thinking fast. "Let's go back to the prow. There are bowmen there we can join. We're going to board the third ship, Lucius?"

"Yes, that's the plan." Lucius nodded to Xena. "I shall accompany the soldiers aboard the vessel and subdue the crew before retreating to let it sink. Be ready to climb over into it when we draw alongside; you should be able to jump onto it's decks! Remember to hold tightly to something when we ram the second ship. The impact will be tremendous!"

The whole of the maindeck was alive with soldiers going to their appointed positions and the three women made a fast pace through these. Gabrielle glanced at the heavy wooden beams of the first catapult as she passed; the arm in a semi-restrained position and already loaded with a rounded stone as it's crew worked busily around it. As they reached the forward catapult, fully as powerful as the other, she noticed it was still out of commision.

"Aren't they using this one too, Xena?"

"No, Gabrielle. We're going to ram in the next few minutes." Xena called over her shoulder. "It'll be too dangerous for the catapult crew, and our sailors, to use till then. Too near the point of impact. Take a look at the prow ram."

Arrived on the slightly raised foredeck the women swiftly took bows and quivers from the stacked bundles brought up by the well trained soldiers. Taking a few seconds Gabrielle leant over the low bulwark, now covered in bedding-rolls as some form of protection from splintering wood, and gazed down at the bow-wave of the rapidly moving ship.

The white water split on each side as the ship carved through the sea but she noticed there was also a curious bulge of water spreading out forward of the ship's bow. Looking closer she saw, underwater, the flickering image of the deadly ram. It was made of solid oak beams rooted strongly in the ship's bows and covered in copper sheaving. It had a rounded point and was about 12 feet in length with a breadth, as far as Gabrielle could tell, of about 3 feet.

Glancing back she saw the 90 oars on that side of the quinquireme rising and falling in astonishing rhythm. Forward-down-through-forward-down-through, in unpausing regularity. For the first time Gabrielle was aware of the full speed and unbelievable power inherent in this huge vessel that she was now a living breathing part of. She stood back hastily from the bulwark, nearly trampling on Bremusa's feet.

"By the Gods, Xena! This thing is monstrous!"

"Nothing more deadly made by the hand of Man." Xena agreed. "Those pirates must be mad to attack us!"

As she spoke the ship veered slightly in it's passage through the waves and the women saw the first of the pirate ships rapidly closing as the two vessels neared each other. For several seconds everything was quiet, enabling the three women to place themselves in readiness for what might occur next.

Bremusa and Gabrielle knelt on one knee, their bows ready in their hands. Xena chose to stand next to a line of bowmen a few feet away; she too was ready and waiting with her bow. Gabrielle gave her Amazon sister a smile of encouragement which Bremusa returned tight-lipped. As usual, on the verge of a battle, there was a fiery sparkle coming to life in the red-haired warrior's eye that boded ill for her opponents.

Gabrielle heard the ropes around them creaking under the pressure as the ship was strained in every sinew by the hidden ranks of oarsmen pushing the ship to the limits of it's speed. Again there was a slight alteration of direction; those on deck feeling the change in pressure of the planks under their feet. With another steady glance across the intervening water Gabrielle saw the pirate had come much closer; Lucius steering so it was heading along their port side at a distance of about a cable's length.

As she watched a sudden shudder was felt through the body of the whole ship, and a mighty crash came from the rear of the vessel. Looking over her shoulder in alarm Gabrielle realised the catapult had fired it's missile. She was just in time to catch the stone in flight and watch it's progress as it curved high in the air.

To everyone aboard, including Gabrielle and her companions, it was immediately apparent the missile had been aimed and fired with skilled precision; it was going to hit it's target without doubt!

She watched fascinated as the stone reached it's apogee, then fell out of the sky straight into the centre of it's target. Xena, staring intently, saw the whole body of the distant liburnian shudder under the impact then, a few seconds later as if not related at all, came the dull crash of it's impact.

"Veer starboard!"

Everyone on the bowdeck heard Lucius's cry and seconds later the quinquireme slid sideways until it was sailing parallel with the crippled ship some hundred yards away across the water. As they moved on Gabrielle saw the pentekontor in their wake steering a course across the intervening space, heading for it's victim with what seemed to the spellbound woman savage keenness.

The quinquireme too was closing the distance between it's prey. Soon there was no more than 100 feet separating them and a cry came from a Cornicen, a soldier to whom all the nearby legionaries were looking for orders, a few feet along the deck.

"Ready to fire on my word! Give them three volleys. Three only! Aim high. Got that!"

Raising their bows the women, amongst the crowd of other archers, waited for the command and when it came a breathless moment later there was a roar of noise as scores of arrows cut the air with a sound like a gigantic sheet being ripped apart. Gabrielle could see the mass of close-packed arrows heading away in an almost solid body, then she was intent on placing the next arrow in her bow and raising her eye to take aim at the nearby vessel once more.

Even as she fired a second time she glimpsed the first wave of arrows disappear into the distant ship. Again a ripping noise and then the scrapes and muttered oaths of those around as they prepared for the next volley. An arrow fell from someone's hand at Gabrielle's feet and she heard a foul mouthed comment as the soldier on her left bent to retrieve it.

"Aim for them in person, this time!" The Cornicen shouted to everyone around. "Pick your target, and take them down! Ready! Fire!"

Gabrielle had shifted her stance to a low crouch and, with only some 70 feet separating her from the other ship, could see the pirates on the deck of the smaller vessel as individuals for the first time. Caught up in the tension and energy of the action she picked out a large figure standing just ahead of the far ship's mast. He seemed to be wearing a sky-blue sash around his chest and it was this at which she aimed fixedly. As the others around fired she loosed her bow and gazed keenly along it's flightpath as the arrow sped across the water. With a suddenness that made her jump she saw it apparently hit the figure then something tugged at her side, her foot slipped, and she was down on the deck one hand beneath her trying to regain her balance.

When she recovered and looked swiftly at the distant ship it had moved on past the quinquireme and was now disappearing behind it, the pentekontor seemingly just about to make contact in it's turn.

"You OK, Gabrielle?" Xena's call brought her back to the scene around and Gabrielle nodded in reply. Looking behind her she noticed several arrows embedded in the wood of a low skylight set in the deck nearby. Touching her side she found a small tear in the fabric of her short tight jacket where one of these had obviously just missed her. In the tenseness of battle she had been completely unaware of the arrows coming from the pirates as they fought back. A quick glance at Bremusa showed her bending over her bow fixing the string, a set of arrows ready at her feet. Gabrielle too fitted another arrow in place then looked up and around to take stock of the activity about her.

Forty metres away on the stern, Lucius was in close consultation with Nennius as they stood by the ship's bulwark staring ahead. The crew administering the catapult just forward of the sterndeck had reset the long arm and it's new load; the rounded stone clearly visible to Gabrielle as it sat in it's wickerwork basket. She looked round to the bow once more and saw an indistinct dark mass ahead of the quinquireme resolve itself into the second pirate ship. This one, she noticed, was unlike it's companion in that it was lower in the water and did not seem to have quite so many oars on the side visible to her, nor were they rowing in a particularly even style. The thought ran through her mind that this was by far an inferior vessel, crewed by a far shabbier set of men, than the first opponent.

"Don't bother with your bow, Gabrielle." Xena stood at her side, smiling across at Bremusa too. "This is the one Lucius is going to ram. Sit back against that skylight and hold on tight. It'll be a shock and there might be some debris flying about, so watch yourselves!"

Intrigued; in fact almost hypnotised, Gabrielle stood and watched as the quinquireme set course for the second pirate vessel; closing rapidly with it's prey. Only then, copying those around, did she sit on the deck and grasp a corner of the small wooden frame against which she was leaning.

In what seemed moments the high skyward pointing mast of the pirate was discernible over the port side of the quinquireme; then there was a curious crackling sound followed by some kind of mist appearing through what little space remained between the ships. After which, instead of the sudden impact Gabrielle expected, there came an almost quiet slowing of the huge ship's speed followed by a jerk as all way was lost and the ship came to a halt. It all seemed an anti-climax.

But Gabrielle had already ceased taking note of these actions. The crackling noise Gabrielle had heard as the ships closed together was caused by the quinquireme scything through the liburnian's oars. There was a huge bang close against her right ear and Gabrielle felt something like dust spatter against her cheek. Looking round she saw, embedded in the side of the skylight not six inches from her head, a long piece of wood. It was about 18 inches in length, snapped off raggedly at it's end, and buried deeply in the skylight frame. Running a hand over her cheek she felt the scratches where tiny splinters from this missile had sliced out across her face. She looked down at her fingers and palm, wet with the evidence of her narrow escape.

Raising her head in what seemed slow-motion she saw, a few feet away, Xena too looking at her with fear etched across her features and mouth open in a stillborn cry. For what seemed long minutes, but was only seconds, both women were frozen in shock, unable to move or think rationally, or at all. Suddenly sounds from all round broke back into their conciousness and time seemed to jerk back into motion.

Taking Xena's arm Gabrielle staggered to her feet. Her friend was saying something but she could not make out the words; all she was interested in was the boat crushed against the quinquireme's bows. Glancing backwards she saw their own oars were already working in well-trained unison to pull them clear. The quinquireme put on way again; though this time in reverse, and Gabrielle noted that the huge ship had pulled in it's forward oars so they would not be damaged in the ramming. Now these were all being smoothly redeployed and in seconds the ship was backing off from it's opponent at almost full speed again.

"I'm alright. I'm alright!" Gabrielle spoke in answer to a cry from Bremusa who had grasped her shoulder tightly. "Just scratches!"

This time, as the quinquireme pulled itself free, there was a loud crashing and shuddering under their feet. They were all aware of the immense strength that had been necessary for the ship to successfully ram the smaller liburnian, and the creaking and juddering now was ample evidence of this. Going to the rail again Gabrielle saw the quinquireme's ram break free from the other ship, leaving a gaping hole in the side of what now seemed to her eyes a very small and weak opponent. Was it her imagination, or was it already lower in the water than before?

"Get ready for the third!" Xena called loudly at her friend's side. So loudly in fact it seemed she knew she had to penetrate Gabrielle's shocked mind. "We'll be boarding it soon. Remember, Lucius isn't going to ram it. He'll drop another catapult stone into it then come up alongside cutting it's oars again; then board! Keep undercover till we hit, Gabrielle! Remember the breaking oars!"

Gabrielle nodded in agreement. She crouched on the deck beneath the now badly scored bulwark; grabbing a stray blanket from the bedding rolls lying all around and wrapped it about her head. As she did so she put a hand over her shoulder to pull free her sword, grasping it tightly in readiness for the coming attack.

With her head covered and only a few inches of deck planking under her feet to look at there was an unnatural and disquieting pause as she awaited further developments. These came soon enough when the whole frame of the mighty ship reverberated to the enormous shock as the aft catapult once more fired it's charge. Within seconds Gabrielle distinctly heard the result as a loud crash came echoing over the water. She felt the stomach-churning change in pressure beneath her feet as the ship changed course once more under the impetus of the hundreds of rowers invisible below deck. Then another slight judder and the selfsame crackling noise heard earlier; only now she realised what it meant and kept her head well down, nearly touching the warm deck.

A cry, followed by several others came from either side and she found herself on her feet and grasping a rope to scramble onto the bulwark. A quick glance showed Bremusa, axe in hand, beside her with Xena over on her left; then below, instead of open water, the messy deck of the other ship. With a spring she was over and standing on the pirate vessel.

**End of Chapter 3**

—OOO—

**Chapter 4**

It was easy to tell pirate from uniformed soldier and she slashed at a passing figure in a loose shirt, feeling the impact as he rushed past. Then Gabrielle was in amongst a tightly packed crowd of mixed friend and foe.

For what seemed an eternity Gabrielle lashed out at whatever target she could see in the milling throng. At one point a huge figure towered over her with arms raised though she was unaware of what weapon he was wielding. She crouched slightly and swept a blow across his legs, hearing a scream and jumping aside as he fell. Somebody hit her back with tremendous force and she was pushed forward out of the crowd to stand in an open space near the midships of the vessel.

She ducked suddenly and instinctively, not a moment too soon as a swordblade swept over her head and turning she met her foe right up beside her. She leapt in and dealt a crashing blow against his jaw with the hilt of her weapon and as he tottered kicked him as hard as she could, darting aside as he collapsed.

A group of soldiers formed around her and they moved towards the stern of the vessel. The deck was covered in loose debris and ropes, making every step difficult and dangerous. A dagger came from nowhere and embedded itself in the mast as she passed, missing her by a hairsbreadth. Another pirate stood foursquare in front of her barring her way. Gabrielle slashed at him; ducked under his return blow, and stabbed forcefully in her turn. Finding her blade was caught she was twisted around and fell on the deck too as he collapsed.

It took her a moment to free her weapon then, as she staggered to regain her feet someone kicked her in the chest with a heavy boot and she was knocked a couple of feet backwards, completely winded for vital seconds. As she lay there a dark shadow loomed over her and the deep mighty yell that she knew so well rang out. There was a flurry of movement all round then a strong hand grasped her's and dragged her to her feet.

"Thanks, Xena! Nice one!"

"Come on! They need help over there!"

Another crowd of fighters suddenly enveloped them and she was once more fighting for her life. An eddy in the mass appeared and she glimpsed the mighty frame of the Roman Trierarch wielding his weapon in a professional manner; knocking an opponent's sword aside and cutting down onto the man's shoulder with his own blade beating him to the ground before striding on amongst the fighting.

Gabrielle was faced by another pirate, screaming insanely and swiping at her with a short sword. She darted in and out, keeping him at a distance and glancing over his shoulder suddenly saw three men advancing on the Trierarch. As he turned to deal with one the other two appeared to have the advantage but suddenly Bremusa appeared and stood by the Roman's side dealing out horrible vengeance with her glinting axe.

Gabrielle meanwhile ducked under her opponent's wild strike and swept up with a two-handed blow which finished him instantly.

A hand grasped her shoulder and Xena was at her side once more. "Come on! Lucius has given the order to return. Let's get back on our ship!"

A mad scramble ensued over the debris laden pirate deck, across the low bulwark and a swift climb to safety aboard the quinquireme again. Gabrielle stood gasping for breath as the other soldiers struggled back aboard in their turn all round her. Xena was holding her hand where they stood near the stern of the quinquireme, between the catapult and the sterndeck itself. She caught a glimpse of Lucius clambering over the side, then Bremusa was standing alongside them, laughing wildly and swinging her axe in ecstasy; an almost crazy glint in her eye.

"What a fight! That was a fight, eh! Gods!"

Both Xena and Gabrielle knew better than to attempt to calm the excited woman at this point; she would need several minutes to relax again. Meanwhile Xena had something more serious to consider.

"Are you alright, Gabrielle? You're covered in blood! I mean, everywhere!"

Gabrielle glanced at her tunic and arms, which were indeed badly stained and wet; her legs too were streaked with dark rivulets. She took a moment to bend and gasp for breath which, she suddenly realised, she badly needed.

"I'm OK, Xena. At least I think so! No pain. Just scratches. Somebody kicked me in the chest. I think a rib's broken. Aagh! I know a rib's broken!"

"OK, that ain't so bad." Xena's tender ministrations could be rather brutal and basic at times; though her words covered real tenderness.

As they stood recovering themselves and listening to the other soldiers swapping words and details of their actions there came another crashing and groaning of wood as the quinquireme slowly came to life and began moving away from the wrecked liburnian. While the women watched oars appeared from the huge ship's side again and quickly began moving in trained order, heaving the mighty vessel apart from it's victim.

A few seconds later the quinquireme began to swing round; leaving the pirate ship on it's starboard quarter, to point across the choppy sea in the direction of the far pentekontor and it's opponent.

"What's going on, Xena?" Gabrielle pulled herself out of a deep tiredness to watch what was transpiring. "Aren't we going to bring the pirates aboard as prisoners?"

"Apparently not!" Xena looked keenly back over her shoulder to where Lucius once more stood on the sterndeck gazing fixedly across the several cable's lengths separating him from the pentekontor. The women now saw the ship was still close up against the liburnian pirate, though on it's far side and pretty much obscured from view.

"Lucius is going to it's aid, I think!" She nodded as she spoke. "Yes. He thinks Atilius may need help to finish off the pirates. We don't want too many of our soldiers injured before we crush the foe!"

Gabrielle, now regaining some of her composure, turned to look over the wavesr at the ship they had so recently abandoned. It was low in the water and she could see scores of figures rushing about it's deck as the pirates struggled on the doomed vessel.

"What about them? What about them?" She said to no-one in particular; but was given no reply.

Turning to her friend Gabrielle saw a curious intentness in the warrior's stance and leant out over the bulwark to follow her gaze. For a few seconds nothing registered in any detail. In the distance the first pirate vessel, now very low in the water, was clearly visible with the mast and part of the pentekontor's

bow in sight behind it. Between this and the advancing quinquireme was a largish stretch of sea now covered in floating debris. Suddenly, as if in a bad dream, Gabrielle saw what had taken Xena's notice. Amongst the floating detritus of smashed wood and barrels were the dark points of people's heads. This was where the second pirate ship, rammed by Lucius minutes ago, had clearly now sunk; and among the debris were the survivors floating and waving their arms in hope of imminent rescue.

"Lucius will need to stop to pick them up." Gabrielle spoke with a curious pleading note as if she already knew the answer.

"No, he won't!" Xena's reply was harsh and shocking to the woman at her side. "He isn't going to stop. Atilius needs his assistance at once!"

"Gods! Xena! Those men in the water. We'll plow straight through them! They can't get out of our way!" Gabrielle grasped the bulwark with white knuckles as she stared at the oncoming tragedy.

And as she spoke, so it came to pass. The quinquireme, all oars racing backwards and forwards at full power, came up to the ragged patch of floating debris and passed through and over it without pause, heading inexorably for the distant liburnian.

Gabrielle turned to Xena and buried her face in the other's bosom, feeling strong arms about her aching sides; but the awful noise still struck her ears as the note of the oars changed to a series of cracks and crashes as the ship swept through the debris left by the sunken ship. For fleeting horrible moments Gabrielle even thought she heard distant cries, before they were through and heading over the intervening clear water again.

As they approached everyone on board, including Lucius, could see that Atilius had pulled his pentekontor back and away from the pirate, leaving an appreciable distance between them, though the liburnian was still sending flights of arrows against it's opponent The pirate was clearly not beaten yet. But Lucius meant to deal with that at once.

Giving instructions as he walked the Trierarch moved across the sterndeck as the ship, at the same time, veered to port and slowed down. Even Gabrielle knew what was coming and, indeed, hardly had the ship reached it's new position than the catapult rang out with it's now familiar power. Again the thrown missile was expertly aimed and crashed into the centre of the pirate vessel, sending up a cloud of splinters visible to those watching 70 yards away. Then, it's oars slowing in unison, the quinquireme came to a halt and rested from it's labours!

To Gabrielle's jaundiced eye it seemed only seconds before the pirate ship went down, suddenly and with hardly any noise. One moment it was there; the next it had gone, leaving only floating barrels, bits of wood and a very few men struggling in the water.

"I don't suppose he's going to rescue those either!" Gabrielle's words were redolent with despair, and again no-one replied.

"He's moving round to rendezvous with Atilius." Xena's next words were spoken quietly. "To see that he and his men are alright. It's all over now."

Gabrielle released Xena's hand, which she had been grasping tightly over the last few minutes, and looked around. And what she saw was total devastation!

Far away across the whitecaps the first pirate ship on which she had so recently been fighting for her life simply did not exist anymore. Where it had been was open water with very little to show that anything had ever occupied the spot. Nearer to them was a patch of debris, now significantly less than it had been, and some floating objects which Gabrielle recognised for what they were with a sick feeling.

A few minutes later the quinquireme lay beside it's companion and Atilius jumped aboard with a wide grin to report to his commander. He made it clear that, though engaged in a terrific fight, he had sustained very few real losses to his force. At a word from a somewhat subdued Lucius he also reported that, of the pirate crew, he had managed to capture only 11.

After some discussion it became clear what the sum total of dead and wounded amounted to. Of those on board Atilius's pentekontor only 3 soldiers had been killed and 4 slightly wounded. Of an estimated 150 pirates only 11 survived. On the second pirate vessel; that rammed by Lucius, no-one had survived at all. And on the third liburnian, where the battle had taken place, Lucius had managed to bring aboard some 17 prisoners. Altogether there had been a frightful loss among the pirate band with neither the pentekontor or the powerful quinquireme suffering anything in the way of major damage. So it was a great victory for the Roman Trierarch.

"Give you joy of your victory, Lucius!" Xena came up to stand by his side, extending her hand. "This'll stand out amongst your many actions as a supreme triumph!"

Lucius swung on the tall women with a cold expressionless face, though he took her hand and looked into her eye without rancour.

"My many actions? Do you think I could survive more than one battle like this?"

Xena raised her brows as she reailsed this was the first major action the large Roman had been in. Even she was surprised.

"And I wouldn't have survived this," He went on in low tones. "if Bremusa there hadn't saved my life! I begin to wonder if any amount of treasure is worth such trouble and danger!"

Turning, he once more busied himself with the necessary details of the battle's aftermath while the two warrior women made their way back to the bow where Bremusa sat with closed eyes and her back against a barrel.

"Are you alright, Bremusa?" Gabrielle's tone was warm and kind as she bent over the young girl, whose garments were almost as brightly stained as her glowing red hair.

"Yeah. Fine, thank you Gabrielle." There was a tiredness apparent in her voice as she spoke. Climbing to her feet she looked at her two friends. "I think I'll go and lie down in my cabin for a while."

—OOO—

A short while later Xena and Gabrielle leaned on the scratched and chipped bulwark; where all around many arrows still stuck in the wood and planks as mute testament to the ferocity of the recent fighting.

"Strange that we three have just fought to sustain the power of Rome against Greeks!" Xena rubbed her chin musingly. "Greek pirates, I admit; but still Greeks. I can't put my finger on it; but there's something mad about all this! The sooner Greek soil's under my boots again, the sooner I'll be happy!"

"Yeah! With no Romans in sight anywhere!" Gabrielle added, brushing a wet hand over her brow and sweeping some sticky strands of hair away from her eyes. "You know, Xena! I begin to hate the Romans almost as much as you! I killed men today. Half a dozen, I think. And the rest of their shipmates have joined them in Tartarus now, too. Courtesy of Atilius and Lucius. I've never seen such wholesale slaughter. Look! 3 ships—and maybe 700 men—now there's nothing but floating wreckage and a few bodies. And we helped this happen, Xena! I killed people here, today. I helped this slaughter. The Gods will seriously want revenge over this!"

"It's just a drop in the ocean." Xena regretted the simile instantly, too late. Gabrielle grimaced in pain and flung her arms wide for a moment as she looked out over the rolling waves.

"I mean," Xena continued. "the Gods will look on this as necessary. Remember, Gabrielle, we did this for Cleopatra. Oh, yes, Lucius believes the treasure is destined for the Emperor, though he's having second thoughts about his own involvement, I think; but we know Cleopatra has other plans for it. That's our motivation; our reason for doing all this; allowing this to happen."

"But it's so grotesque. Hades! Look at me, Xena. Look at us all. We're all covered in blood. I've tried washing already, but it still sticks. Did you see the decks of that last liburnian. It was pouring out of the scuppers like-like water."

"I've seen worse." Xena spoke bluntly; finally at a loss how to comfort her friend.

Gabrielle turned on her with real anger on her face and in her voice; grabbing the taller woman's hands by the wrists and literally snarling in passion.

"No, you haven't! No you haven't, Xena. Nothing could possibly have been worse than what we've just gone through. I'll never forget this as long as I live!"

Xena pulled her hands free roughly, making Gabrielle stagger back a couple of paces. Then Xena, in her turn, grabbed the small-framed warrior by her shoulders and shook her forcefully, making Gabrielle's head rock back and forth and forcing a cry of pain from her again.

"Gabrielle! See sense. You can't go on blaming yourself for other's actions. It was Lucius who was responsible for all this. He—and his ships—and his soldiers—and Atilius—and their Roman morality—lack of morality! OK—we killed a few of them ourselves. But that was in fair fight—face to face. We didn't slaughter them wholesale. Lucius and Atilius did that. Not you, Gabrielle!"

For several seconds Gabrielle stared at her friend blankly; then tears began flowing down her scratched cheeks. She raised her hands, holding them out to Xena beseechingly.

Xena instantly jumped close and gripped the weeping woman in a firm embrace, locking her hands behind Gabrielle's back to hold her safely. She raised one hand to run her fingers through the short fine white hair now streaked with dark stains, nestling her chin gently on Gabrielle's head. Xena closed her eyes; feeling only the frail body sobbing quietly against her chest and wrapped her arms closer, holding Gabrielle more tightly still, whispering gently.

"My Love—My Love! It's all over. All finished. I'm with you now. With you always. My Love—My Love!"

A few feet below the two engrossed figures waves, topped by sparkling whitecaps in the freshening breeze, lapped at the ship's sides as the choppy seas rolled on; ever disregardful of Human troubles.

**End of Chapter 4**

**The End**

—OOO—


End file.
